


Exploding Snap

by SunshineScorpius



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Albus is the bestest friend anyone could ever ask for, Dealing With Trauma, Gen, Ginny is the best mum, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, I love boys being best friends, James is also a Very Good Brother, Scorpius just really needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:34:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21606136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineScorpius/pseuds/SunshineScorpius
Summary: "Sometimes people - particularly children - just want someone to play Exploding Snap with."After their return from time, Scorpius struggles to deal with the events of the past. Albus seeks his mum's advice for the best way to get his best friend acting like himself again.
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy & Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 12
Kudos: 65





	Exploding Snap

_Dear Mum,_

_I know I only wrote to you a couple of days ago but this letter isn’t about school. I’m kind of writing to you as a last resort because I don’t know what to do anymore. Scorpius, he’s not doing great. He always talks me and never shuts me out, but recently he’s been more distant and he’s stopped participating in class and he’s always really quiet and you know Scorpius, he’s never quiet! I guess I’m just really worried about him and I’m at a loss on how to help and was hoping you’d have some of that great motherly advice I know you’re capable of on occasion._

_Please help me, mum._

_I love you,_

_Albus._

Albus finished his letter just as the dormitory door opened and a tired Scorpius strolled in. He sent Albus a pathetic half-smile before dumping his bag on his bed and quickly stripping himself of his robes. He’d lost a little bit of weight since coming back from Godrics Hollow, a mixture of stress and struggling to stomach anything. Not that he’d told Albus that, it was just an observation. Actually, ever since they came back, Scorpius hasn’t spoken to him about their little… adventure at all.

“Hey,” Albus said as he folded the letter and placed it in an envelope, trying to make it seem like Scorpius’ odd behaviour isn’t bothering him. “Where have you been?”

Scorpius looked up at him then and shrugged. “Hospital wing.”

Albus immediately jumped out of bed, letter forgotten, to cross the room to him. He quickly swept his eyes over his figure, seeing no visible sign of injury.

“Hospital wing? Are you okay?” Albus wanted to reach out and hug him, but refrained himself. Scorpius only liked being touched when he was the one initiating it, which he did quite often with this ‘new version of themselves’ and Albus found he rather quite liked it.

“I’m fine, Albus. James was with me, no need to worry,” he spoke, turning away from him to rummage through his bag, picking out a book and climbing into bed – _in his school uniform._

“James?” Albus questioned. This was getting even more confusing, especially because between his siblings, Scorpius much preferred Lily's company over James'. “Why would James be with you?”

Even though Albus’ older brother had been slightly nicer to the two boys – okay, a lot nicer – since they returned, Albus still couldn’t figure out _why_ James would be with Scorpius and didn’t immediately come and get Albus to tell him where he was.

“He found me – look, Al, I’m really tired, can you let me sleep?”

There were so many things Albus wanted to ask and say, so many things he needed to talk to Scorpius about if only he would really talk to him. But he won’t, so Albus relented.

“Of course, Scor. I’m just popping to the Owlery, but I’ll be back soon, okay?” Scorpius only nodded before burying himself under his sheets and curling up in a ball, facing away from Albus. Albus closed his curtains for him, leaving a small gap that made Albus’ bed still visible to him.

Albus got the letter from his bed and scribbled down his mum and dad’s address before quickly sealing it. With one last look at Scorpius’ bed, Albus pulled his shoes on and left the dormitory, half jumping down the stairs to the common room and out in a flash, bumping straight into… James?

“I was just coming to see you,” Albus admitted, already walking past him in a quick walk. James quickly started into a little jog to catch up before slowing his pace to match Albus’.

“I was going to come up with Scorp but he wouldn’t let me, I figured I’d wait and try and catch you in a bit,” James admitted.

“What’s going on – wait, did you just call him ‘Scorp?’” Albus asked, stopping for a brief moment to look at his brother.

James only shrugged and raised his eyebrows in a way that said, ’ _you’re focusing on that part, really?'_ Albus shook his head and carried on walking in the direction of the Owlery.

“I don’t want to worry you, or lose his trust in what happened, but I found him having a panic attack on the Quidditch grounds,” James explained. Albus stopped again, furrowing his brows and looking at his brother.

“Why was he on the Quidditch grounds?”

James shrugged. “I don’t know. He was there when we started practice and we were a bit apprehensive having a Slytherin around during practice, but he didn’t seem to be watching. He was – I don’t know – sort of staring off into space and then I saw him collapse to the floor, that’s when I decided to check he was okay. He was having a panic attack so I took him to the hospital wing. I know how worried you’ve been about him recently so I made sure I stayed with him and took him back to the common room after no matter how much he protested, you know he can be a right stubborn ba-”

“He’s a Malfoy,” Albus interrupted. “It shows on occasion.”

They started walking again, Albus at a loss for words. He couldn’t fathom why Scorpius would be hanging around the Quidditch pitch, especially after everything that happened there. And why would he go alone? He didn’t much like being alone these days, he said being alone means too many dangerous thoughts. Despite his confusion, Albus swore he wouldn’t push Scorpius for answers; he didn’t need Albus breathing down his neck.

As the boys rounded on the Owlery, Albus called for their family owl who swooped down and landed on James’ shoulder. Albus explained he was writing to mum for advice as he tied the letter to the owl’s leg and fed him a couple of treats before watching him take off into the sky. James walked him back down to the Slytherin common room and gave him a quick hug, telling him Scorpius would be fine and to just give him space.

Albus trudged up the stairs with a heavy heart, wishing he knew some way to help. Instead, he did his homework in bed and watched Scorpius breathing softly through the open gap in the curtains. When he did finally sleep, it was facing Scorpius’ bed.

Scorpius wasn’t in bed when Albus woke the next morning, but he did find him down in the common room, head in a book and looking like he’d been up for hours. He was showered and in a fresh set of uniform to the one he fell asleep in. Albus lightly tapped his shoulder, accidentally causing him to jump a mile, but he smiled slightly when he saw it was just Albus handing him his freshly packed school bag and inviting him to breakfast.

In a strange turn of events, it was Albus who talked all the way down to the Great Hall, Scorpius listening – or so, Albus _thought_ he was listening. He was proved wrong when he asked Scorpius if he wanted a cup of tea and got nothing but a blank stare in response. He decided not to push it and made Scorpius one anyway – four sugars and milk, just the way he liked it (even though it made Albus feel nauseous).

Albus was thankful for a distraction when the post arrived and the Potter’s owl returned with a letter just for him. The owl landed in front of him and Albus handed him a small piece of bacon before taking the letter and breaking the seal. All the time, Scorpius barely blinked. He caught James’ and Lily’s eye from across the room and sadly smiled and shrugged at them. Lily went to stand, but James stopped her.

Albus opened the letter and made sure Scorpius wasn’t reading over his shoulder – even though he was staring at a blank spot on the table – before reading.

_Albus,_

_I’ll respond to your other letter as soon as, but this seemed more important._

_This is rather worrying to hear about Scorpius and I can’t imagine how worried for him you must be. I’ll give you the best advice I can because I know what it feels like to be in Scorpius’ position. I know he has you, but he might feel very alone right now, Al. After everything you both have been through, being back to normal sometimes puts everything else into perspective and he might be struggling with how to cope now that he has a heavy weight hanging over him._

_After everything that happened in my first year at Hogwarts, I felt very alone for a long time. Until your father came along and offered to play Exploding Snap with me. It was a small gesture, but it made me feel like I wasn’t so alone anymore. The only thing I can say is make sure you’re there for him. You don’t have to talk to him, especially about what he’s going through as he may not feel comfortable with that. Just be there, be next to him, do schoolwork together._

_Sometimes, you just need someone to play Exploding Snap with._

_I hope this helps, honey, and I hope both you and Scorpius are well._

_I love you,_

_Mum._

Albus folded the letter and placed it in his bag, thankful for his mum and her brilliant advice. He sent a smile James and Lily’s way before he and Scorpius headed off to start classes for the day.

The day seemed to pass in the quickest haze Albus has ever had classes go. As Scorpius never paid much attention, Albus was forced to try and take notes good enough for him for when the time came for him to catch up. By the time they returned to the common room, he was starving and ready for a good night’s sleep. But, he couldn’t sleep just yet.

Scorpius said he was going to have a quick nap, which gave Albus the perfect opportunity to set everything up. He made a blanket fort around his bed, digging out all the sweets from James’ last Hogsmeade trip that Albus had begged him to get. He got a pack of Exploding Snap cards from the bottom of his trunk and gave them a quick shuffle before popping them down on his bed and slipping out of the dorm.

Albus headed down to the Great Hall, grabbing some dinner for both he and Scorpius to eat up in their dorm and went back to the dorm. When he returned, Scorpius was sitting up on his bed with a quill in his mouth, reading through the vague notes he’d managed to make throughout the day.

“Hey, Albus,” he said, “what did we do in potions today?”

“Never mind that,” Albus said, sitting on the end of Scorpius’ bed. He handed him a plateful of food and Scorpius looked at him quizzically. “Do you want to play Exploding Snap?”

Scorpius eyed the food suspiciously before looking back at Albus. Albus stood and walked over to his bed, opening the blanket fort and inviting him in. Scorpius smiled softly, so softly that Albus almost missed it. He got up and walked over to Albus’ bed, ducking into the fort and settling crossed legged at the end of his bed, plate of food in his lap. Albus followed him in and settled down himself, watching as Scorpius ate his dinner in small bites.

They finished the food in silence and after Albus took his plate and put them on the floor next to his bed.

“So,” Scorpius said, “Exploding Snap?”

Albus smiled, reaching over to quickly squeeze his knee before retreating and dealing the cards between them. Scorpius watched him intently, withdrawing his wand and waving it in the air.

“You’re going down, Potter.”

“Oh, game on, Malfoy,” Albus retorted, pulling his own wand out and tapping Scorpius on the nose.

During the games, Albus heard Scorpius laugh for the first time in months. A full, wholesome laugh, his eyes watering as the cards kept exploding in Albus’ face. So, he let Scorpius win. He would let Scorpius win a million times if it meant his smile would never fade. He seemed lighter than he had in a while, carefree and weightless. As they entered their fifth game, Scorpius looked at Albus with a light in his eyes and smile on his face.

“Thank you for this, Albus.”

His mum was right; sometimes you just need someone to play Exploding Snap with.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Let me know :)  
> Twitter: @sunshinescorp


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